Fracking

See also Energy, as well as Global Warming and Chemicals

Fracking is short for hydraulic fracturing. It's good news in that it has dropped the cost natural gas, so it may reduce the amount of coal we burn, which helps with global warming. However, the drilling companies will not reveal what chemicals they are using, some are known or suspected carcinogens (this secrecy goes back to the energy bill that came out of Dick Cheney's secret energy task force). Even more worrisome in some respects is the intimidation and surveillance by police and private contractors of activists and reporters who ask questions.

News/Reports

PBS Need to Know.

International protests 9/12.

Sandra Steingraber is internationally recognized authority on the environment links to cancer and human health. Steingraber’s highly acclaimed book, Living Downstream: An Ecologist’s Personal Investigation of Cancer and the Environment presents cancer as a human rights issue.Pledge to Resist Fracking.

New Fracking study on water contamination. 7.12

Fracking has been getting a lot of attention lately, but a long-standing problem has been injection wells. 6.12

Video

PBS NewsHour on health effects 6/12. See also

Groundbreaking filmmaker Josh Fox takes a closer look at natural gas drilling and fracking and their effects on communities in his award-winning documentary Gasland a documentary about drilling for natural gas. official site. After Fox was offered $100,000 to lease his land to a drilling company, he set off on a cross-country journey to investigate the environmental risks of fracking. During his 24-state trek, he uncovers alarming facts about the natural gas industry, health problems as a result from this contamination and (not surprisingly) loopholes in federal environmental regulation. HBO trailer

New short film on fracking by Gasland director. 7.12 He was arrested by capitol police for filming a public meeting. Actor Mark Ruffalo has been supporting the issue, Pete Seeger too.

60 Minutes segment on Fracking, injecting chemicals under high pressure to extract natural gas. 11/10.

T Boone Pickens TEDtalk on energy policy 3/12.

Vanity Fair article and video on water affected.

Natural gas' (mostly methane) role in Gulf oil spill. from Mojo

Drilling Down on Fracking loe.org 7/10